Author: wolfesbuketlistscom

THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES…….HO CHI MINH CITY

EARLY MORNING CITY TOUR. IT’S CHINESE LUNAR NEW YEAR AND TRADITIONALLY CHINESE FAMILIES WILL RETURN TO THEIR ANCESTRAL HOME. WE FOUND MANY SHOPS CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAY.

CITY TOUR VISITED THE HISTORIC PRESIDENTIAL PALACE THE FAMOUS SITE WHERE WORLD AND STATE OCCASIONS ARE HELD.

OUR TOUR LED US TO A MARKET NEAR THE FAMOUS POST OFFICE.

THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES…. SAIGON ~ HO CHI MINH CITY

THE TOUR TODAY WAS ‘LIFE ON THE MEKONG RIVER’. THIS RIVER STARTS IN NEPAL AND FLOWS THROUGH THE INDOCHINA COUNTRIES TO DISCHARGE INTO THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. IT REMAINS THE MAJOR TRAFFIC THOROUGHFARE FOR BARGE AND COMMERCE. IT’S TIDAL AND PROVIDES FRESH WATER FOR THE RICE FIELDS.

A GUIDED BOAT TRIP TOOK US TO A FAMILY RUN RESTAURANT ALONG THE RIVER. THE TOUR CONTINUED ON WITH KAYAKS.

DUE TO CONGESTION THE GOVERNMENT WANTS PEOPLE TO USE MOTORCYCLES OR SCOOTERS. EVERY ROADWAY AND INTERSECTION IS CROWDED WITH 2 WHEEL VEHICLES. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNS GREEN THEY START WITH SOME DEGREE OF ORDER AND CHAOS WHICH IS DIFFICULT FOR AMERICANS TO UNDERSTAND AND FOLLOW. NOTE THE TRAFFIC COP IN THE PHOTO. IF INTERESTED I FILMED A NUMBER OF VIDEOS OF THE TRAFFIC FLOW.

THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES…..

THE CITY IS BLESSED WITH WIDE AND BEAUTIFUL BEACHES. THERE ARE NUMEROUS GRASS HUTS SERVING COOL BEVERAGES EACH WITH LITTLE UMBRELLAS.

WE WENT ASHORE VIA THE SHIPS TENDERS. THESE WERE THE RESCUE CRAFT CAPABLE OF HOLDING 80…IN A PINCH.

WE ENJOYED PEDI CAB RIDES THROUGH THE CITY. IT WAS A SAFE ROUTE BUT WE GOT TO SEE A LOT OF THE CITY.

RUSSIANS MOVED INTO THE AREA AFTER THE END OF THE VIETNAM WAR AND ESTABLISHED BUSINESSES. THERE IS A LARGE RUSSIAN TOURISM INDUSTRY IN NHA TRANG. IN COOPERATION WITH CHINESE AN ELABORATE ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX HAS BEEN BUILT. AFTER DARK ALL OF THE BUILDING ARE LIT UP.

THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES…

DOCKED IN HUE, VIETNAM AND BOARDED BUS TO HOI AN. A HISTORICAL CITY. IN THE 16th AND 17th CENTURY HOI AN WAS INTERNATIONAL TRADING CENTER FOR JAPANESE, CHINESE, DUTCH AND INDIAN TRADERS. THE OLD TOWN HAS BEEN PRESERVED INTACT.

THIS IS A BUSY TOURIST DESTINATION WITH YOUNG AND OLD. THIS VIBRANT CITY COMES ALIVE AFTER DARK.

OUR CRUISE COINCIDES WITH THE LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATED ALL OVER. THIS IS THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON. THERE WERE LARGE DISPLAYS OF FIREWORKS AND RED LANTERNS

OUR JOURNEY WENT PAST MARBLE MOUNTAIN. THEY PRODUCE BEAUTIFUL DISPLAYS OF CARVED GOODS. DIFFICULT TO FIT IN OUR CHECKED BAGGAGE!

THIS IS THE CAPITOL CITY OF THE PHILIPPINES. IT HAS A REPUTATION OF A CROWDED CITY WITH BAD TRAFFIC.

WE ARRIVED ON SATURDAY AND WHILE THE BUSINESS WEEK WAS OVER THERE WERE NUMEROUS SCHOOL GROUPS CROWDING THE SAME HISTORICAL SITES ON OUR ITINERARY.

ELECTRICAL WIRING IN THE CITY WAS ‘INTERESTING?

THE COLONIAL FORT IN THE CITY CENTER HAD BEEN IN USE IN THE FRENCH COLONIAL AS WELL AS WORLD WAR II. WE VISITED THE MANILA HOTEL WHICH SERVED AS THE RESIDENCE FOR GENERAL GEORGE McCARTHUR.

WE TOURED THE BEAUTIFUL SAN AGUSTIN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

OUR TIME ASHORE WAS LIMITED DUE TO SCHEDULING ISSUES IN THE BUSY PORT. I COUNTED 15 CONTAINERS BEING LOADED ONTO SHIPS HEADED TO FOREIGN PORTS.

THAT EVENING THE SHIP PUT ON A DANCE PARTY BY THE POOL. IMAGINE 300 PEOPLE AGES 70+ ROCKING AND BOPPING…..YOU GET THE IDEA. IT WAS A ‘HOOT’.

THIS WAS OUR ONLY STOP IN MALAYSIA. WE OPTED FOR A DAY OF REST AFTER THE PREVIOUS DAYS LENGTHY VISIT TO BRUNEI.

THE SHIP HAS SOME GUESTS WHO DECIDE TO SPEND THEIR VACATION TIME ON THE SHIP AND SELDOM GET OFF AND TOUR. WE ENJOYED A LEISURELY BREAKFAST IN THE GRAND DINING ROOM. AFTER LUNCH I ENJOYED A SWIM IN TH SALT WATER POOL.

AT EVERY PORT THE SHIP HAS SHUTTLE BUSES STANDING READY TAKE GUESTS AND CREW INTO TOWN FOR SHOPPING. WE WANDERED THE LOCAL PRODUCE MARKET, NOT FOR SOUVENIRS BUT TO OBSERVE LOCAL PRODUCE AND TO SEE WHAT FOOD LOCALS EAT.

THIS CRUISE LINE HAS A REPUTATION FOR GOOD FOOD. IN ADDITION TO THE MAIN DINING ROOM AND THE MORE CASUAL BUFFET ON DECK 12 THERE ARE 4 SPECIAL DINING OPTIONS – FRENCH, ITALIAN, ORIENTAL AND THE POLO GRILL. WE DECIDED ON THE POLO AS ONE OF THEIR SPECIALS IS A WHOLE LOBSTER. IT WAS EXCELLENT. WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO CHECKING OUT THE OTHERS.

THIS WILL BE THE FIRST OF THREE STOPS IN THE PHILIPPINES. AS THE SUGGESTS THERE WAS A SPANISH INFLUENCE. EARLY SPAIN BROUGHT CHRISTIANITY TO THE POPULATION IN CONTRAST TO ISLAM IN MALAYSIA/BORNEO.

WE CHOSE A PLANNED TOUR TO AN UNDERGROUND RIVER IN AN ELABORATE CAVE. THE RIVER STARTS FRESH WATER AND DISCHARGES INTO THE OCEAN. IT’S INHABITED BY THOUSANDS OF BATS HANGING FROM THE CEILING OF THE CAVE. WE WERE LOADED INTO LONGBOATS POWERED BY MOTORCYCLE ENGINES ALL WITHOUT MUFFLERS! TO ENTER THE CAVE WE WERE TRANSFERRED TO GONDOLA STYLE BOATS EQUIPPED WITH OUTRIGGERS. MOST OF THE BATS WERE SLEEPING. HOWEVER WE WERE ADVISED NOT TO LOOK UP AS THEY PRODUCE GUANO WHILE AT REST. UGH! THE FORMATIONS IN THE CAVE WERE AMAZING.

TRAVEL FROM THE DOCK TO THE CAVES WAS A 90 MINUTE ORDEAL IN EACH DIRECTION. THE ROADS WERE WINDING AS WE ASCENDED AND DESCENDED THE ISLAND MOUNTAIN. DRIVERS IN THE PHILIPPINES FIND IT CHALLENGING TO GO FAST. OUR GUY WON THE RACE!

BRIEF HISTORY: LOCATED ON THE WESTERN EDGE OF BORNEO THIS SMALL COUNTRY AT ONE TIME CONTROLLED ALL OF BORNEO. THROUGH BATTLES IT LOST ALL EXCEPT THE SMALL AREA IT NOW CONTROLS. IN 1939 OIL WAS DISCOVERED. THEY COULD EXTRACT BUT UNDER BRITISH CONTROL IT HAD TO BE REFINED IN SINGAPORE. THIS CHANGED IN THE 50’S. THEY RECEIVED FUNDING FROM THE CHINESE TO EXPAND THEIR REFINING FACILITIES.

THE COUNTRY IS CONTROLLED BY THE 7TH GENERATION SULTANATE. THE BENEVOLENT SULTAN MANDATES EDUCATION OF ALL INCLUDING COLLEGE, HEALTHCARE, RETIREMENT STIPEND, ETC. THE SULTAN MANDATES STRICT MUSLIM ADHERENCE INCLUDING NO DRINKING, SMOKING, DRUGS. THE SULTAN HAS AN ENORMOUS COLLECTION OF AUTOMOBILES INCLUDING 2 GOLD ROLLS ROYCE. ALL ARE STORED IN THE PALACE AND WE WERE NOT INVITED.

OUR GUIDE WAS PROUD TO SHOW US 4 GOLD CROWNED MOQUES. THERE ARE BEAUTIFUL PARKS. I LIKEN BRUNEI TO A 2ND CLASS COUNTRY WITH WEALTH CONTROLLED BY THE FEW. THE COUNTRY IS TOO SMALL TO PRODUCE RICE. THE SULTAN PURCHASED AREAS IN THAILAND TO SUPPLY THEIR RICE.

WE OPTED FOR AN ORGANIZED CITY TOUR. BIG BUS BUT COVERED A LOT. THERE ARE 4 MAJOR ETHNIC GROUPS – MALAY, CHINESE, MUSLIM, INDIAN AND. LAST – ENGLISH

FORMULA 1 RACES RUN THRU THE STREETS OF SINGAPORE. EXCITING TIMES.

WE SPENT TIME AT THE NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDEN. THE ORCHIDS WERE IN BLOOM

THIS WAS THE TIME FOR CHINESE LUNAR NEW YEAR – THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON. THERE WERE COLORFUL DRAGONS EVERYWHERE. WE DINED AT A RESTAURANT WHERE PATRONS WERE CELEBRATING THE EVENT.

WAKING UP IN A NEW CITY IS ALWAYS FUN AND CONFUSING. WHERE’S THE RESTAURANT? WHERE’S THE COFFEE? MORNING STUFF. WE WERE STILL GROGGY FROM THE FLIGHT. AFTER BREAKFAST I NEEDED TO GET SOME LOCAL CURRENCY. I INQUIRED AT THE DESK AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A CASH MACHINE ON ORCHARD ROAD. SO OFF I WENT ON AN ADVENTURE!

THAT AFTERNOON WE DECIDED TO TAKE A BOAT RIDE ON THE RIVER. FIRST WE HAD TO NAVIGATE THE SUBWAYS. DURING OUR PREVIOUS VISIT WE FOUND THE SUBWAYS CLEAN AND EASY TO USE. THIS ENCOUNTER WAS THE SAME. WE TOOK THE RED LINE AND TRANSFERRED TO THE PURPLE LINE. WE GOT ON A ‘BUMBOAT’. I NEVER DECIPHERED THE MEANING OF BUMBOAT. AT ONE TIME THEY FERRIED GOODS AND WORKERS AROUND THE ISLAND.

ANOTHER SUBWAY RIDE TOOK US TO MARINA BAY SANDS HOTEL AND CASINO. THIS IS THE ENORMOUS THREE 42 STORY PILLARS WITH A CONNECTING STRUCTURE AT THE TOP THAT RESEMBLES A BOAT. IT’S ACTUALLY AN INFINITY POOL WITH A VIEW. ADJACENT TO THE HOTEL COMPLEX IS THE GARDENS BY THE BAY. THIS MANMADE ATTRACTION CONSISTS OF INDIVIDUAL LARGE DOMES FOR DESERT GROWTH AND A DOME FOR HUMID GROWTH. EVERY TWO HOURS MAN MADE MIST KEEPS EVERYTHING HAPPY.